The Trade Produced Real Value for Both Teams
Basketball-Reference records Los Angeles acquiring Jim Brewer from Portland on October 8, 1980. The Lakers sent a 1984 second-round pick that ultimately became the No. 46 selection used on Jerome Kersey.
The transaction ledger also describes Portland's option to swap first-round picks as becoming the second-round pick instead. The legacy canonical record carries the option language on both sides, but this review does not count it as an additional independent asset beyond the realized 1984 second-rounder.
Brewer Played Two Full Lakers Seasons
Brewer appeared in 78 games for Los Angeles in 1980-81 and 71 more in 1981-82. Across those two seasons, he totaled 149 regular-season games, 2,073 minutes, 545 rebounds and 104 blocks.
He was a low-usage reserve rather than a major scorer, but he gave the Lakers dependable frontcourt depth.
Brewer also appeared in eight playoff games during the 1982 championship run. That title-season contribution means Los Angeles did not simply surrender a future pick for a player who failed to help.
Portland Turned the Pick into Jerome Kersey
The long-term gap comes from what the 1984 second-rounder became. Portland selected Kersey at No. 46.
Kersey played 831 regular-season games for the Trail Blazers across 11 seasons. Basketball-Reference's Portland franchise totals credit him with 21,760 minutes, 10,067 points, 5,078 rebounds, 1,762 assists and 1,059 steals.
He developed from a second-round project into a long-term starter and rotation pillar during one of the strongest sustained periods in franchise history.
The Option Is Not a Second Kersey Asset
The legacy archive entry contains a Blazers option to swap 1984 draft picks on both the incoming and outgoing sides. Basketball-Reference's transaction language clarifies that the option became the second-round pick instead.
This review therefore treats the No. 46 Kersey selection as the realized draft value and marks the duplicated swap language as non-exercised or converted context, not another piece of value for either side.
Why Portland Wins Decisively
Los Angeles still receives meaningful credit. Brewer played 149 games and contributed as a reserve during the 1982 championship postseason.
Portland, however, converted the draft consideration into 831 Kersey games and more than 10,000 points over 11 seasons. The scale and longevity of that return overwhelm Brewer's useful two-year Lakers tenure.
Final Verdict
Blazers Win, A+/B. Portland receives an A+ for turning the No. 46 pick into an 11-season franchise fixture. Los Angeles receives a B because Brewer supplied 149 regular-season games and championship-season depth, making the trade productive for the Lakers even though the hindsight gap became enormous.